Facebook has launched an AR-powered platform for developers

Facebook has launched an AR-powered platform for developers to empower them to build AR tools for the camera and bring people together in new ways, to encourage augmented reality (AR) camera effects.“ We’re all about extending the physical world online… so AR is going to help us mix the digital and physical reality better,” Zuckerberg said. “We’re going to make the camera the first mainstream AR platform,” he further added.

Facebook has launched the platform in closed beta version to help developers around the world build unique filters for the camera
“You’re going to be able to swipe to your camera and swipe through the effects: face masks, art frames, style transfers,” he said. “But instead of a few options to choose from, you’ll have thousands to choose from.”

The Camera Effects Platform currently includes two products for developers – Frames Studio and AR Studio.
Frames Studio is an online creative editor; This allows people to design frames which can be used either as profile picture frames or in the new Facebook camera.

AR Studio which is now open for beta applications. This can be used to create scripted effects, masks animated frames and other AR technologies that react to movement, the environment or interactions during Live videos.

Developers can also use Face Tracker, and Scripting APIs and Sensor data, such as the gyroscope and location, to pull in data from other apps and respond to user inputs.

“The ability to just have glasses or eventually contact lenses where you can overlay whatever information you want [means] we could put a TV on the wall and have it be a $1 app instead of a $500 piece of hardware that a lot of people can’t afford. So if the glasses cost $500 or whatever it is, you’re saving a tonne of money compared to all the other hardware that you would have to buy.”